Improvement in elevating or scaling ladders



UNITED STATES PATENT OrincEo SOLOMON I). VOLLISON, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELEVATING OR SCALING LADDERS.

Specification forming part of LettersPatent No. 39,@57, dated September 8, 1863; antedated i December 25, 1862,

T0 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, SOLOMON D. WoLLIsoN, of Pittsfield, inthe county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Elevator" or Scaling-Ladder; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,

reference being had tothe annexed drawing,

making a part of thisspicification, and which represents a vertical longitudinal section through said elevator,'showing onelmltthereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a more simple, cheap, and efficient scalingladder or elevator by which a man can either be elevated or elevate himself', or by which any moderately1 heavy bodyor thing can be conveniently and expeditiously elevated to a con siderable distance from the ground.

My said elevator consists,tirst, of a baseboard, A, mounted on truck-wheels, either two, three, or four, as the case may require.

The drawing illustrates a machine with only two wheels, and an equal number of studs B, to support the opposite end of the base-board.

The drawing shows one end of the base-board supported over the axle by means of elleptic spring O, by which the machine may be transported from place to place with as littleinjury from jar or vibration as possible. These springs,however, are only allowed to act when the machine is being transported, when the machine is at rest, or performing its legitim ate function of elevating. The blocks D are turned to set between the platform and the axle, thus relieving the springs of the weight of the machine, and furnishin g a solid base for the weight and power to act upon. The block l) is made to turn on acenter formed by the screw E, by which it may be readily adjusted under or from under the base-board and over the axle.

Frepresents an adjustable bar, in which the studs B are xed, by which the distance between the points of supports of the base-board can be enlarged or diminished, as circum stances may require. Said bar is made adj ust. able by means of a longitudinal slotcut therein (not shown in the drawing.) through which a screwpasses,the head of which is shown byG 5 and my said elevator consists, second, of an extending or adjustable ladder consisting of two parts, each of which are composed of a ends and centers, so as to form a seri s of togglejoints,which maybe multiplied indefinitely;

and my said elevator consists, third, of a platform, I. which unites the two parts ofthe extending ladder at the top and furnishes a place for a man or thing to stand or rest upon. The two parts of said ladderare united to said platform and to each other by means of connecting-rods e e, which reach from one part ot' said ladder to the other, and by means ot' parallel bars J, which pass under said rods e, and are held in position by means ot' screws a Z). The screw a is left slack, so as to allow the rod ef to slide freely between the platform and the bar J, but

the screw b is drawn up tight, s0 as to clamp the rod c and hold it, leaving but one end of the toggle to travel under the platform.

1u attaching the ladder to the baseboard A the same general principle obtains as does in attaching it to the platform-viz., one end of the toggle is securely fixed to the base-board by means of the studs K, while the other end is fixed to the axle ofthe wheel L, which wheel tra els in a track, M, bolted to the base-board, and the said axle travels under the parallel bar N, arranged overit in the manner shown, to hold it down.

The object in securing one end of the toggle and leaving the other loose is to cause one side of the ladder to raise without receding from the wall or other object against which it is placed, and arranging one end of the lower toggle on wheels L greatly facilitates lthis operation 5 and my said elevator consists, fourth, ot' a pair of levers, one ot which is shown by O, for the purpose of operating the toggles. Said levers have their fulcrums on the axles of the wheels L, and act against the center joint of the lower toggle rin the manner shown. The power for operating said levers may be applied either directly to the handle P, or indirectly to the axle Q, through the agency ofthe crank R, the power being communicated from the axle to the handle by means cfa chain or rope, s, as shown by the drawing. When said levers are not in use, they may be inverted, by which the curve K is brought down under the hook z, which secures them to the base-board, thus furnishing a shaft by which the machine may be. trans ported. These levers are to be used when it is desired to elevate any body or thing with great rapidity, and when an abundance of power is at hand. But when a person desires to elevate himself, the fifth part of my elevator is brought into action. This fifth part consists of a pair of screws applied to the top of said extendin g-ladder, one of which screws is shown by T. Said screws are applied to the top tog' gle by means of a nuttixed to the joint at d, and a loose collar fixed to the joint at g. Said loose collar works in a groove cut in the screw to receive it, by which means the screw opens or closes the toggle, and, of course, raises or lowers the platt'orm as it moves up or down. By these means a man standing on the platform may raise and lower himself without assistance. The collar g ofthe screw must, ot' course, be unlosed from the toggle when the levers are used to elevate the machine, for although the levers will not hinder the screw from operating the elevator, the screw will hinder the lever from operating it, for which reason one end of the screw must be detached when the lever is used. When the platform is lowered, it rests upon the upper ends of a pair of studs fixed in the base-board, one of which is shown by y. These studs, however, may be omitted Without any great detriment to the machine; but they serve to keep it steady while being transported, and should a weight fall on it they protect it from injury to a great extent. y

Before sta-ting what I claim as new and as my invention in this elevator, I think it proper to say that I am well aware that a series of toggle-joints have been united, so. aste" form an extending ladder and made into an elevator. I therefore lay no claim to this feature of my machine; but

What I claim as new and as my invention is the manner of attaching the said ladder-to the base-hoard A and platform I, and the manner of applying the power for operating the said elevator-that is to say- I claim- 1. Uniting one end of the top and bottom toggle to the base-board A and platform I in the manner described, so as to cause that end of all the toggles to raise and fall on a line drawn through the points so attached.

2. The arrangement and combination ofthe wheel L with the lower end of the bottom toggle and the base-board A, as shown and described, to facilitate the rise and fall of the toggle.

3. The arrangement of the lever O with the bottom toggle, the wheel L, and the axle Q1 -5. The' block D, in combination withl the spring c and axle of the track-Wheel in the manner described, for thev purpose specified- S. 1). 'WOLLI'SON Witnesses:

' AMos BROADNAX,

EDM. F. BROWN. 

